Join us (next meeting is Saturday March 8 at 6pm) at the Waterloo Airport, or via Discord. Click this invitation link to add our server to your Discord app: https://discord.gg/Uyz4jeQKhW (2025) Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, January 2025 The February gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:01 PM February 8, 2025 at the Waterloo Airport by Al (KB0VGG). There were XXXXX members (XXXXX ARRL) and XXXXX guest in attendance (locally and remotely) this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: NONE Report accepted with 0 adjustments ( N0ZYC / N0TKC ) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ activity and balances for period: 1/1/2025 - 1/31/2025: Savings (repeater fund) account: $2,705.26 starting balance ---------- -------------------------------------------------- NO CHANGE ---------- -------------------------------------------------- $2,705.26 ending balance checking (share-draft) account: $1,608.43 starting balance ---------- -------------------------------------------------- +262.28 DUES ---------- -------------------------------------------------- 1870.71 ending balance upcoming changes: PORTLAND MAIN NEW MEMBER REMOTE ACCESS TO THE RIG Report accepted ( N0ZYC / N8TWO ) Please contact our treasurer Dave (KD0DK) if you would like to get your dues paid for the year. Club dues can be paid in person or online on our club website at https://www.w0mg.net/ REPEATERS --------- W0ALO STILL WORKING WELL ABOUT 70W AL: 94 REPEATER WORKING GREAT, HEARING WELL 30W OUT PLANS TO GO TO 120W OUT HAS THE HARDWARE IN THE LIVING ROOM 444975 WOKRING GREAT, ANYWHERE NORTH OF WATERLOO IS EXCLLENT MY 444.5 STILL A LITTLE DEAF BENTON COUNTY REPEATER , THEY GOT A FULL REPEATER SETUP FROM VINTON DMR NEEDS MORE USE 444975 IS ANALOG AND FUSION, SO IF YOU HEAR DIGITAL NOISE, THAT'S FUSION COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): XXXXX OLD BUSINESS ------------ AL: WINTER FIELD DAY WRAP-UP - NEVER TRUST A PIECE OF COAX - SPREADING OUT ANTENNAS REALLY HELPS - SCOUT CAMP IS VERY RF QUIET - WE NEED MORE NIGHT OPERATORS - WITH SLEEPING OPS WE HAD NO JS8CALL WORKING AND NO CW SO OVERNIGHT WAS PROBLEMATIC - FOOD TURNED OUT GOOD NEW BUSINESS ------------ AL: BERNIE USING REMOTE 75M NET MANAGER NEEDS HELP WITH STATING ONLINE CAN WE GIVE HIM A YEARS MMEBERSHIP MORRIS/TKC AL: HE AND MARK, NEED TO GET HAM CLASSES GOING MARKS CHURCK IS OK WITH USE CIVIL AIR PATROL MEETS HERE, TEACH A CLASS RIGHT BEFORE OUR MEETING MAYBE CONTACT AL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STUDY OR TEST AL/MARK SUMMER FIELD DAY: AL TALKED WITH AA, WE HAVE THE RESERVATION SAT AND SUN MARK MAY CAMP FRIDAY NIGHT TO DO MORE SETUP AND TO GET THE GRILL/SMOKER TRANSPORTED AND READY NOT SURE IF AA WILL LET US DO ANTENNA SETUP ON FRIDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SAT MORNING AL: WE FOUND THE CLUB'S COAX, IN BRENDA'S OUT BUILDING (ALONG WITH OTHER REPEATER PARTS) NATHAN: NICK (KD0WVN) HAS BEEN GIVEN A MIX OF 14 AND 17 INCH DELL MONITORS, MOST OF WHICH ARE ON ARTICULATING STANDS. THEY MAINLY HAVE DVI AND VGA INPUTS, THOUGH THERE MAY BE A FEW WITH HDMI INPUTS CURT KIDNEY STONE 3CM AL: INTERNATIONAL RADIO DAY KIND OF AN OPEN HOUSE ON HAM RADIO USE A PUBLIC PLACE, MAYBE HAWKEYE, MAYBE TECHWORKS PARKING LOT APRIL 18 (FRIDAY, ALSO EASTER WEEKEND) MAYBE ASK MEDIA TO SHOW UP MARK: DO WE WANT TO START PLANNING SUMMER FIELD DAY NOW? AL: LOOKING FOR A SFD CHAIR, NO VOLUNTEERS TABLED FOR NEXT MONTH MARK: DO WE WANT TO DO A PARK ACTIVATION IN MAY TO SHAKE DOWN FIELD DAY OPS? GETTING RADIOS TESTED RIGHT BEFORE FD WOULD BE GOOD ESPECIALLY DIGITAL AND CW RADIOS DAVE KELLY: MAYBE GO OUT TO BILLS A WEEK OR SO BEFORE AND TEST RADIOS DAVE KNITTEL: MAYBE MAY MEETING TEST EVERYONE'S GEAR MARK WILL BRING LOGGING LAPTOPS NATHAN SUGGESTS LAMINATED CHEAT SHEETS FOR LOGGING SCOTT STS: DO WE HAVE A LIST OF MODES AND REGS FOR SFT? YES POSTED MARK WFD SUMMARY: NEED MORE OPERATORS, THO WE WERE HAVING RADIO PROBLEMS DAVE ROBERTS IS NOW THE NET MANAGER FOR IOWA DIGITAL NET, REPOLACING JOE HOEPHNER OLIVIA 8500 Motion to adjourn at 6:41 pm ( N0ZYC / K0CQH ) Tonight's presentation was by XXXXX on XXXXX UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- presentation ideas: electronics history, radio bug-out bag, alternate power, solar power, spotting electronics scams, mag-loop antennas, broadband blocking filters, Denver/cf robotics club, sodering, new director at FEMA, EOC? Contact Al (KB0VGG) if you'd be interested in giving a presentation. Tentative presentation schedule: MAR 8 : APR 12 : MAY 10 : JUNE 13 : JULY 11 : Aug 9 : REGULAR EVENTS -------------- - ARES net check-in is at 9pm every Sunday night, on 146.94/34 - Iowa Digital Net runs every Tuesday night at 7pm, 3.5885 MHz USB / 1500 Hz WF (Olivia 8-500) - Iowa 75 Meter Evening Net runs Mon-Sat at 6:00 pm on 3.970 MHz / LSB Also meets at 12:30 pm on same. - Iowa 160 Meter Net runs Sunday night at 9:30 pm on 1.9745 MHz / LSB - DMR checkin 7:30 pm Sunday night on talk group 3119 - Ham Radio Fellowship / Breakfast every Wednesday morning at 9AM at the Wendy's at Love's Travel Stop in Waterloo. (3301 Greyhound Drive) VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- contact Mark (N8TWO) for current information at classes@w0mg.net or Al (KB0VGG) on class/test day at 319-243-8819 UPCOMING HAMFESTS AND EVENTS ---------------------------- (let me know) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- Randy (KF0JPR) has a pair of HyGain yagi new in box for sale, asking $100 ea Doug (K0DV) has a 6m beam new in box also that's looking for a new home W0DT has a number of radios for sale W0MG/NIRAA LINKS ---------------- - Club Website: https://www.w0mg.net/ - Membership form: https://www.w0mg.net/contact/membershipform.pdf - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/waterloo.hams/community/ - Cedar Valley area repeaters list: https://www.w0mg.net/repeaters/ - additional club media and resources: https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/W0MG/index.html - Amateur Radio Practice Site (tests and code): https://www.aa9pw.com/ - Discord server (current invitation link at top of minutes) ATTENDANCE ---------- Members: XXXXX Guests: XXXXX Members wishing to pay club dues (or have paid and are not indicated above) please contact our Treasurer in person at our monthly meeting or by email at treas(a)w0mg.net Members of the board may be contacted over the air or via email: President Al Jones (KB0VGG) pres(a)w0mg.net Vice President David Roberts (K9DCR) vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer Dave Kelly (KD0DK) treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2023 Jan Fitkin (KE0IWP) dir1(a)w0mg.net Director 2024 John Humpal (WB0MAR) dir3(a)w0mg.net Director 2025 Randy Albright (JF0JPR) dir3(a)w0mg.net ABOUT ----- NIRAA meets most months on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 6:00 pm, at the Waterloo Airport, in the old restaurant. Parking is available at no cost in the short-term lot. (3 hr free limit) Our primary club repeater is on 146.94 mhz, negative offset, with a PL tone of 136.5 hz, with coverage centered in Black Hawk County. Many members are also monitoring channel 3119 on DMR. Our club website is at https://www.w0mg.net/ and the club's primary email contact is sec(a)w0mg.net You're receiving these meeting minutes because you have given the NIRAA club your email address for minutes and announcements. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply requesting removal from one or both distribution lists. - Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) Secretary, W0MG